A New Year, A New Battle

When I sat down to make my 2016 holiday cards, I wanted an image that rallied strength and hope for things to come, but also reflected on the year that's passed. And let's be honest, a little bit of a lot of us was hoping that someone would swoop down and save the day before inauguration. 

So you combine that tiny bit of optimism, with my recent Halloween costume, and my sincere love for the US Postal Service, and the card just sort of happened. Yes, that's right, my holiday card was inspired by a postage stamp. 

The hand-painted image of a very buff, wonder(ful) woman punching out 2016 recognizes the challenges 2017 offers, and vows to fight on. 

Stay strong. Game on 2017. 

Wrapping up the Holidays

Looking for a simple, non-traditional way to decorate your holiday packages this year?

Try adorning your packages with hand-cut and hand-painted, paper feathers. This idea was inspired by Lia Griffith, who's gold-tipped feather wrapping is absolutely gorgeous and elegant. 

It took me about an hour to create 2 dozen feathers. I choose a set of feathers from Google images, cut from my selected paper—vintage sheet music for White Christmas—and then painted a variety of color accents. 

Paired with clean lines and solid kraft wrapping, the feathers add a whimsical and non-conventional touch to holiday gifts!

Like your feathers too much to give them away? Take another Lia Griffith suggestion and hang clusters for beautiful wall art!

2016: Another One Bites the Dust

Halloween has passed, which means the next time I go into the store, I'll be bombarded with holiday decor. Christmas is right around the corner, followed by...[drumroll]... 2017. 

In preparation for 2017, or, to help you get your holiday shopping done early, I've released calendar designs for 2017 on Etsy. 

Designs for 2017 include:

– Black and White Abstract

– Abstract Flower Designs

– Black and White Florals

– Rainbow Florals

Each calendar is a simple, clean, modern designs, that stand in a black wooden easel. Visit fivefeettall on Etsy to see the full line and place an order. Quantities are limited!

8th Annual Recycled Art Market at City High

This Saturday is the 8th Annual Recycled Art Market at the City High/Middle School (1720 Plainfield). This is our favorite show of the year — this year there will be more than 70 booths showcasing goods made from primarily recycled materials. 

Every year, we like to debut at least one new product, this year it will be kitty bowties. Bows are made from recycled neckties and fabric scraps. These dapper accessories are perfect for all you're cat's upcoming formal holiday occasions!*

We will also have most of our standard items available too. Last year the booth was full and the day was busy. We're looking forward to seeing many familiar faces again this year. 

Items are one-of-a-kind and of limited quantity, so get there early for first dibbs! Generally, 11 am to 1 pm are the busiest hours, so if you want to avoid the crowds, plan accordingly! See you Saturday!

*Miss the show or want a sneak peek at some ties, check out ScrappyLynn.etsy.com

Dancing Donald Continues to Make Headlines

Typically news sources don't report on individual's Christmas cards.

But when your card features the bloated head of a somewhat loathed presidential candidate, apparently it's news.  

The Lynn Family Christmas card, which depicts our humble hero Donald Trump* in all his egotistical glory, caught the eye of mLive. Apparently it's unusual for the Democratic Chairperson to send out greetings quoting the Republican party.

This isn't the first time a Lynn holiday greeting has made headlines. Back in 2012, their Occupy 2012 card** made it into the Detroit Lake Tribune in Minnesota who credited them for being ordinary citizens trumpeting a love for their country. 

I'm not sure I'd call Frank + Jenny ordinary, and I'm not sure the Trump Card showed the same "love and support [of] their homeland", but it sure poked fun of the big headed goon currently leading the GOP. And perhaps bringing down Donald is the best way to support this country, because... if.... well... God help us all. 

Vote smart people. And have a very humble holiday. 

*the Dancing Donald card is a fivefeettall creation. 
**Also a fivefeettall creation

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like....

We took a quick excursion to Frankenmuth today. And to be honest, I somewhat expected the town to be completely over-the-top with holiday decorations. But it really only seemed slightly more Christma-fied than it did during our July trip. And the crowds actually seemed down—shocking for a 50 degree December day.

Two weeks before Christmas, I anticipated Bronner's (CHRISTmas Wonderland) would be chaos, but I was shocked (and pleased) to find it wasn't bad at all—aside from a long line for Santa. We spent a remarkably long time reviewing the acres of ornaments. For two people who never put up Christmas trees, we were quite enthralled.

If you recall from my July post, on my last Bronner's visit, I went gaga over the S'more Ornaments. So what were my favorite ornaments today? The space themed ornaments really struck me as neat conceptionally.

Along with a set that I continued to refer to as the Peacock Palette. I daresay the turquoise tree must be trending!

With such mild temperatures and the lack of snow, it's hard to remember Christmas is just weeks away. But it seems I enjoy looking at ornaments regardless of the season. Perhaps I'll even get inspired to have a tree of my own some day!

Walking in a Lit Up Wonderland

It was back to Detroit this weekend for a quick holiday visit. And it was back to the zoo for Wild Lights — an event put on by the Detroit Zoo, where more than 5 million LED lights illuminate trees, buildings and animal sculptures throughout the Zoo. If you have kids, it's worth walking through to see their excitement and wonder over the lights. 


BUT, if you're an adult, there is a way to experience the same wonderment and awe. I'm not about to suggest you get wasted or drop acid— no, instead I'm going to advise you spend the $1 on the 3D Holiday Specs.

These glasses are magic. So simple, and yet amazing. They turn every point of light into a snowflake. Sounds cheesy, yes, but the effect is delightful. Especially in a scene of 5 million lights. We were one of the only groups I saw wearing the specs, and I'm sure we looked ridiculous, but we were also experiencing a whole different evening than the rest of the guests. 

(click images to enlarge)

The glasses are a product of 3D Marketing — who sources 3D glasses for a variety of uses and occasions. Personally, I have never seen anything like this, and I was fascinated by it. It made the night very memorable and spontaneously fun. The drive home was especially exciting and trippy (I was a passenger.... not driving!). I plan to store my glasses in the car so my passengers can experience the same joy!

The wheels are already turning on potential opportunities to use this gimmick at future events!

Wild Lights continues on December 11-13, 18-23 and 26-31 from 5:30 to 9:00. We arrived at 7:30 and the freeway was backed up at the Woodward Zoo entrance. The line for tickets was also extremely long, but it moved very fast. Tickets are $11 at the gate ($9 online in advance)  — plus $1 for the glasses!!!

DIY: Santa Bottle Decor

It's just a few weeks before Christmas, which means Santa's Elves are hard at work. If you're feeling a little crafty and looking for a DIY project of your own, here's a very simple way to transform a bottle into a Santa decoration. 

Basic Instructions:
1. Paint a bottle red (I used spray paint as it provides the smoothest coverage)
2. Use a piece of black ribbon as a belt.
3. Cut a square of felt to make the buckle. Cover with silver glitter if you have it.
4. Glue on white buttons
Extra Details: on the tall bottle I wrapped white macrame string around the neck. On the small bottle I painted the cap black. 

A super easy project that has a great effect. I imagine paint colors and details could be altered to be elves or gnomes too!

Note: these look extra festive with my elf wine caps on top!!

From Santa's Workshop

Working hard to restock inventory on Santa's little helpers! 

Elf hats are perfect for gifting wine (/booze!) at holiday (/birthday!) parties! Made from upcycled sweater scraps, hats slip over the top of most any bottle. Look for a new supply to be added to fivefeettall.etsy.com soon!

Holidays on Rails

I love the city my town has become. But what I like even more than looking at what Grand Rapids is, is looking at what Grand Rapids was. And our local Christmas legend gives us an amazing opportunity to do that.

Grand Rapidian Chris Van Allsburg wrote The Polar Express in 1985, inspired by childhood memories of the holidays in Grand Rapids.

Back then,  Herpolsheimer's and Wurzburg's department stores were basically the Macy's and Gimbels of GR.

"When you went downtown to do your Christmas shopping, you always had to make a choice to go to Wurzburg's or Herpolsheimer's," Van Allsburg remembers.

Today, the Grand Rapids Art Museum is located on the former site of Wurzburg's. And the GR police department sits on the somewhat iconic corner of Monroe Center and Division, where Herpolsheimer's once was.

Before shopping malls, and certainly before the internet, shopping was a different experience, and department stores reigned. And for the kids, visiting the shopping at Christmas meant a visit to Santa Claus.
During the Christmas shopping season, Herpolsheimer's operated the "Santa Express"—a miniature train on a monorail suspended from the ceiling in the basement. While it looks cheesy and somewhat dangerous to me now, back then I'm sure it felt futuristic, like something straight out of the World's Fair.

The train in The Polar Express was based on a 482 Baldwin Steam train. When they made the movie, the train they referenced was the Pere Marquette, which is the rail line between Grand Rapids and Chicago. And the train they studied.... #1225 of course.

I myself, have very early holiday memories of The Polar Express, specifically because of the Breton Village Mall, where they always had an elaborate train set up, and the story was illustrated annually around Santa's Village.

In a season where tradition reigns, Grand Rapids looks a little different than it did when Van Allsburg was growing up. People head to the suburbs (or their desktop) to shop. But his story will continue to delight for as long as children have the ability to believe.

2015: The Final Countdown

Rain and wind, and blowing leaves kept us company all weekend. It's clearly fall. Which means that winter, the holiday and the new year are right around the corner.

In preparation for 2016's arrival I've released six calendar designs on fivefeettall.etsy.com.

Designs for 2016 include:

– Black and White Abstract

– Abstract Flower Designs

– Black and White Florals

– Cream and White Florals

– Rainbow Florals

– Pantone Swatches

Each calendar is a simple, clean, modern designs, that stand in a wooden easel. Visit fivefeettall on Etsy to see the full line and place an order. Quantities are limited.

Peeps: A Respectable Way to Go...

Easter was a few days ago, which means right now you probably have some peeps growing stale somewhere around your house (and if you don't you can probably get them for pennies at the local market). 

Not ready to subject yourselves to the sugar rush? Here's a way to maybe make it a little more palatable. Peeps Ice Cream. 

This is taken from last weekend's GR Press, where Jessica Webster grotesquely illustrated the murder of 10 baby blue peeps. I especially love this second image of them being boiled alive.

So unless you intend to keep these chics around till next Easter (and turn them into a wreath!?!!), I'm declaring it ice cream time. 

Skated by the Chimney with Care

So one of my favorite things I made this Christmas was something I've wanted to do for awhile... a roller skate stocking for a dear friend (Bidi Bidi Bang Bang) from the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls derby team.

Done free form, it was a work-in-progress experiment, where I was able to use fabric, puff paint, ric rac, shoe laces and ribbon, and really just make it up as I went along. With the exception of the toe stop (which I had to ditch) it honestly came out better than I expected!!

I'm ready to unleash stocking possibilities! And I have 364 days to get it right!

The Grinch's Nightmare

Speaking of Christmas decorations... these ones may be a little less uniform.... but there's no lacking in Christmas Spirit. 

This is the holiday interior of the Broadway Bar, on the corner of Broadway and Sixth on the west side. The place is a holiday tradition of Grand Rapids' very own.

For 21 years, the family-owned restaurant has gone all out for the holiday. The start the day after Halloween, and take 4 weeks to complete this wonderland of lights, trains, garland, Santas, and reindeer. There;s even a projector screen that plays holiday movies all day long.

Stop on in to get your overdose of Christmas, but be sure to make a reservation first, it takes more than a little effort to get in here this time of year!

When Roy G. Biv Stops Over for Christmas

I'm not one much for holiday decorating myself, but I do appreciate a well-styled tree. And I'm quite fond of Inspired by Charm's ROYGBIV gradient tree here.

This tree is uniform and thoughtful, yet still playful and full of spirit. I especially like the Star Explosion on top.

I feel like Christmas benefits when colors other than Red and Green are added to the palette. This could almost become a year-round decoration.

Delivering Holiday Traditions

On December 6, 1964, families sat down to watch an animated special called Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the very first time. The hour-long show went on to become the longest-running and highest-rated Christmas special in TV history.

To commemorate this beloved holiday tradition, USPS and Greg Breeding have designed 2014 Christmas stamps featuring Rudolph and his misfit friends. Still frames of the stop-motion animation produced by Rankin/Bass, will deliver a bit of nostalgia and joy to people all over the country this season. 

In addition to these postal delights, the Post Office has also gone interactive! Visit their website to find out which misfit you are!

I'm Santa! Peppy and resourceful, yet perhaps a little skittish, Santa almost cancels Christmas because of formidable weather. But then he discovers a brilliant solution for his sleigh: the guiding light of Rudolph’s nose.

My favorite part of this is that he almost cancels plans due to incliment weather, cause yes, I do that. Guess I wouldn't be a very good postal carrier...

Kisses and Hugs for February

There's something appealing to me about old typesetter's letters. Probably the combination of vintage, wood and typography. I've been collecting letters of various sizes for awhile now and have begun combining them to stamp out cards and phrases.

For Saint Valentine's it's XO. Two simple letters that can mean so much.


Essentially it's rubber stamping but with acrylics rather than a stamp pad. I love how every imprint is just a little bit different then the last. Intrinsically handmade and one of a kind, like a thumbprint.

This set of Valentine's Cards and other cards are available on Etsy. 

Just Another Snow Day

Sick of the snow yet? If you're like me, you've officially given up and succumbed to full on hibernation. So instead of going outside, where our faces freeze off, let's bring a little bit of the outdoors, snow day fun inside.

Check out these fun and creative paper snowflake templates I found on Pinterest. Time to get sassy with your scissors. 

Star Wars Snowflakes - Matters of Grey

Bear and Owl Flakes - Imagine Gnats

Ballerina Snow Dancer - Modish Space

Elaborate Traditional Snowflakes - DIY Creating

This is a great craft for a snowy afternoon by the fire watching movie. Or if you just need the kids to sush-up for a few minutes.